Hey everybody,

I'm still working hard in Fatumu. Last week was our Stake Conference and on Thursday we had a family history fireside. Only about 30 people showed up, but the whole fireside was a riot, mostly because this super funny Ward Mission Leader in another ward, who is from America, got up and sang two Elvis Songs. I almost died laughing.  

On Saturday and Sunday Elder Cardon from the Area Presidency, who actually happens to be my Grandpa's cousin, came to Tonga.  I got to shake his hand and tell him we were family. haha  It was super funny. He hit me two times on the shoulder and said,"Hey Cousin" and I, still shocked from a Seventy hitting me, said,"ummm hey cuz". Pretty crazy that we made the connection 10,000 miles away from America.

Elder Cardon gave some pretty good talks. He talked about repentance and how the Priesthood is a blessing and we need to be worthy to bless others around us. He also talked about education, and how my great-great-grandma (his Grandma) said she tried to learn something new every day of her life. He said that even though in Tonga there aren't a whole bunch of opportunities to access higher learning, all of us still need to learn. It was a great stake conference with a bunch of food. President Tui'one and his wife and family came as well as the Temple President and his wife.

As far as the work goes, we found 9 new investigators last week! But one of our main investigators went back to another island which was a bummer. Hopefully we can get some of the new investigators progressing this week.

Not much else has happened this week. We have a musical fireside this Sunday and President Tui'one is coming to it and we also have transfers this next week. Time has flown this past transfer. I studied a lot this week about the Holy Ghost. I know that having the Holy Ghost's presence all the time is such a huge blessing and that we need to live worthy of it.

Love you all. Keep doing good things,

Elder Wilson

Conference

I feel like I say this every week, but for reals, it was another good one. I'll give my random things before I blow up about Conference :

1. All dog lovers will cringe, but I ate dog twice this past week. It kind of tastes like roast beef, picture attached.

2. I got to go to the Scenic Hotel and ate a burger for the first time in 8 months. 

3. Elder Manu and I had 3 really good potential new investigators this week! Then 2 fell through because their parents won't let them be baptized. But we are going to check out another one today, so we shall see.

4. Built a chicken coup.

5. I think my Tongan is actually improving. What has been hard for me was speaking as Tongans speak and not like an English speaker speaking Tongan. But I think that a lot of people are understanding me a lot better. 

As Gavin Baxter and I used to quote,"Shasta is the best thing this side of the Mississippi."  As I was pondering this great saying a thought came into my head - Conference is the best thing on both sides of the Mississippi River. We went to our Stake Center, 3 towns over, to watch it and were lucky because we could watch it English.

Something that I did this General Conference that I haven't done before was go to it with 5 questions, some of which were pretty specific. It was crazy and a testimony builder that all 5 of my questions were answered, and answered well too. My favorite talks were probably Elder Bragg about the Light of Christ and Elder Ballard on Visions, Goals, and Plans. Also I loved President Uchtdorf and President Eyring in the priesthood session. 

10 Ma'ongo'onga(great) things from Conference:

10. Family History work is central to the plan of salvation - Pres Eyring

9.  A repenting sinner draws closer to god than the self-rightous - Elder Renlund

8. The light of Christ is as real as the actual sunlight - Elder Bragg

7. All Christlike attributes are intermingled. As we develop one we influence another-

Elder Hales

6. Elder Ballard - It's our duty to listen, also to have goals and vision to increase desire.

5. Pres Uchtdorf - Be Thankful but don't inhale it. You cannot get into Heaven by campaigning for it, In leadership, don't direct, let God direct us.

4. Elder Choi- One small thing I do on my mission and in life can make huge differences throughout generations.

3. Pres Uchtdorf- Don't use fear as a motivator. Look forward with faith, not fear. Perfect love casteth out fear.

2. Elder Bednar - Called to serve, labor in a country. Worthiness is the KEY to receiving  blessings.

1. PRES EYRING - God's work isn't to be super effective but to build people up.

My favorite line of conference was the above one by President Eyring.  I realize that trying to work extra hard and smart to find new investigators isn't the most important thing. I'm also here to build people up. Other than that we have Stake Conference and I think Elder Cardon is coming who is my grandpa's cousin. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to him.

The Church is true, The men who lead this church are inspired from God, We can learn so much from listening to there words. I invite all of us to listen to words of the Prophet and gain our own testimony and read the Book of Mormon.

Ofa lahi Atu

--

Elder Wilson

Hey Family and Friends,

It's been another great one here in Tonga. This past week was our Stake's "International Youth Night," where each of the wards was assigned a country/place, and they had to explain the country and do a dance. Lavengatonga's assignment was Texas and Fatumu's was India.  It was insanely funny and I took some serious pride in the fact that Fatumu and Lavengatonga, (the two smallest towns in the Stake, and where I work) definitely delivered. I really wish Tonga had good internet so I could upload the video.

We also had a mission conference on Wednesday that was really good. President talked on the topic I have been trying to study, which is diligence. He spoke about some specific things that we can do to be more diligent in our areas. On a side note, Elder Manu and I had to wake up at 5 to go to another town to catch a bus to our conference. Kinda stunk but the sun rise was way tight. 

Random things:

1. We ate some Tongan Piranhas.

2. Played 2-on-2 basketball this week.

3. Still waiting for General Conference next Sunday.

4. My Branch President just starting talking to me in gibberish for like 5 minutes yesterday. It was so funny.

5. We are eating dog today, they tried to make me kill it, YEAH RIGHT.

6. We might have an investigator for reals, hopefully.

7. Church is still true.

8. Went on this exchange with a new white guy who came in last transfer, Elder Cox. He's way tight   and his Tongan is pretty good for a new guy. 

9. TWO of our inactive families turned up to church in Lavengatonga. We also had 12 men that had the priesthood come to church, definitely a record in my time here. 

10. I don't think I was sick this week. Life is GOOD.

Ofa lahi atu kiate kimoutolu, I encourage you all to read and listen and reread and relisten to the confrence talks, One of the best times of the year is listening to the these great men. Just do it.

Elder Vilisoni